I was flying through Denver International Airport today and tried to call my ISP because of problems with an overzealous spam filter. Because I didn’t feel like using my cell phone for US roaming rates to call a toll-free number, I went off in search of a payphone. I had a to walk a long, long way.
Almost every phone in Terminal A has been removed. It shouldn’t be surprising, what with the ubiquity of cell phones, but I can’t be the only person who likes the idea of a payphone being within a half mile walk inside an airport. Instead, there were signs of construction in front of the groupings of cutouts where 4-6 phones used to be at every gate.
The New York Times had an interesting observation about O’Hare airport in Chicago a few weeks ago.
Where the phone banks once were, O’Hare has placed chairs, a counter, and rows of outlets. These work spaces are now far more crowded than any of the airport’s bars.
It looks like the beginning of a trend. Would people pay if someone served a decent latte as well?